Stabilizing apparatus for rigid airships



' April 5 1927.

- 1,623,952 K. ARNSTEIN STABILIZING APPARATUS FOR RIGID AIRSHIPS Filed Auz. 27, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l i n INVENTOR AWM A! ATTORNEYS I 1,623,952 p l 7' K. ARNSTEIN snsmzme APPARATUS FOR RIGID AIRSHIPS Filed Au. i.2'7, 1924 2 sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I BY F a ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 5 1927.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KARL ARNSTEIN, OF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, BODENSEE, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO LUFT- SCHIFFBAU ZEPPELIN GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRANKTEB HAFTUNG, 0F FRIED- RICHSHAFEN, GERMAN Y.

STABILTZING APPARATUS FOR RIGID .AIRSHIPS.

Application filed August 27, 1924, Serial No.

It is well known that .the longitudinal section through the fins which form the stabilizing apparatus of airshlps should be of a streamline shape; on the other hand, it is necessary that-such fins be firmly attached to the hull, which means that fins should have a broad base at the point of attachment. According to my invention I combine these two features by forming the i forward portion of the fins with a cross section in the shape. of a pointed arch, with the principal point ofattachment along such archlike portion, and to comply with the demand for streamline shape in a longltudinal direction, the cross section of the fins .tapers toward the rear end to a lentillike shape. I

This shape of the fins has the advantage that all the stresses acting upon the fins may easily be transmitted to the hull of the ship by means of the spaced ribs of the fins which are joined to ring girders of the ships hull. Further, thefact that the rear rib of the fin which supports the bearings for the rudder or elevator is' lentil shaped in substantial thickness permits me to place all the. lever arrangements for such elevator or rudder inside the fin, thus dispensing with the usual outside rudder segment. I also find it to be advantageous to incline the rear rib of the fixed. fin in a forward direction, thereby giving an inclination to the rudder or elevator hooked to it.. By this arrangement, the

rudder or elevator will move away from the body of the shi increased.

To add to the strength of "the device, it is useful to provide a special support for the rear rib of each fin by arranging an in clined truss which passes through the thickened part of each such fin and connects at one end to the middle part of the rear rib and at the other end'to one of a forward cross member or ring girder of the hull. This serves to lead the stresses of the fins, rudders and elevators to the hull of the ship, and the arrangementmay be so made as to avoid undue torsion, with an average distribution of the air forces over the rudder or elevator planes.

In the drawings which give an example illustrating my invention as used with rigid airship Fig. 1 is the side View of a shi s stern shown diagrammatically, the main e ep and its efficiency will be 734,535, and in Germany September 20, 1923.

to Fig. .4 but showing the rudder in a dif- I ferent position.

In Fig. 1 a is a horizontal fin which has an elevator b. The vertical fins are designated by the letter 0 and each of these fins has a rudder d. The cross section of fins a and c at the point where section line 3-3 is taken is shown in Fig. 3 to be of a shape resembling a gothic or pointed arch. As the fin extends forward, this arch decreases in' size until the forward end' of the fin merges in the hull. As the fins extend toward the rear, the arches increase in height but the bases gradually grow narrower in-' stead of wider until the sides of the fins substantially meet at the real-most point of contact between the fins and the hull. The rear .edge of each fin is designated .by the letter 7. The rudders or elevators b or (1 continue the shape 0 the fins.

In the illustrative example shown if each fin and its elevator or rudder is considered as a whole, it will be found to be of a shape similar to a portion of a body which on a vertical section along its approximate longitudinal axis is approximately oval (but one side is larger than the other) and which on sections taken transversely along such longitudinal axis and on sections taken at right angles to such longitudinal axis is approximately lentil shaped, that is, the sides of such sections are curved, but the two curves meet in such a way as to form points or curves of relatively short radius. Such body may be considered to be cut by the intersection of a hull body which passes through its approximate longitudinal axis slightly more than a third of the Way to the rear of the theoretically. completed body, with a tangent taken longitudinally of the hull curvature forming an angle of about 20 with such approximate longitudinal axis, and with a tangent taken transversely of the hull curvature lying parallel with a lot plane passed transversely through such approximate longitudinal axis. The rear line f of each fin a or c slopes slightly forward,

mate longitudinal axis of the fin and is supported by an auxiliary truss i which runs forward along such approximate axis until it meets the main hull of the ship where it is attached to a ring girder as shown at it. Other guide pivots may of course be provided, but are not shown in the drawings.

The ribs of the rudders and elevators are designated-by the letters Z and their spars by the letter n. Each rudder or elevator is turned by means of a lever is which is connected at one end to the rudder ribs Z and at the other end to the steering cable m as may be seen in Figs. t and 5.

By the arrangement thus shown I am able to construct fins and rudders with great strength and at the same time in such a way as to offer a minimum of resistance to the air.

litis to be understood that the example given is by way of illustration only and that man modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A rigid airship comprising a hull, fins of streamline shape, with rudders and elevators, said fins having cross sections of the shape of lancet arches, this shape tapering towards the rear end of the fins into a lentillike shape.

This line I rudder or I ing the bearings for rudder or elevator respectively.

3. A rigid airship comprisin a hull, fins of stream-line shape with rudders and elevators, said fins having cross sections of the shape of lancet arches, this shape tapering towards the rear end of the fins into a lentillike shape, the rear ribs of the fins being inclined in the forward direction, supporting the bearings for rudder or elevator respectively, and each of said'rear ribs being supported by an inclined rib connectin to the ring member of the hull next in iorward direction.

4. A rigid airship comprisin a hull, fins of streamline shape with rudt ers and elevators and means for turning these, said fins having cross sections of the shape of lancet arches, this shape tapering towards the rear end of the fins into a lentil-like shape, said means for turning rudder and elevator being enclosed by the fins.

5. A rigid airship comprising a hull,'fins of streamline shape with rudders and elevators, and means for turning these, said fins having cross sections of the, shape of lancet arches, this shape tapering towards the rear end of the fins into a lentil-like shape, the rear ribs of the fins being inclined in the forward direction and supporting the bearings for rudder or elevator respectively, said means for turning rudder and elevator being enclosed by the fins. I i

6. A rigid airship comprising a hull, fins of streamline shape with rudders and elevators and means for turning these; said fins having cross sections of the shape of lancet arches, this shape tapering towards the rear end of-the fins into a lentil-1ike shape, the rear ribs of the fins being inclined in the forward direction, supporting the bearings for the rudder or elevator respectively, and each of said rearribs being supported by an inclined rib connecting to the ring member of the hull next in forward direction said means for turning rudder and elevator being enclosed by the fins KARL annsrnrs, 

